In a blade server, each server blade included in the blade server includes a network interface such as a LAN (Local Area Network) port. Therefore, whenever the change, the extension, or the integration of the server blades is performed, the optimization of network design of the whole blade server is required. The blade server includes a plurality of switch blades that collect data from each server blade via the LAN port, and efficiently transmit and receive data to/from the outside of the blade server, in addition to the server blades.
Each of the switch blades includes unique management information that is unique for each switch blade, and common management information that is common to the switch blades, as configuration definition information, as illustrated in FIG. 1. There are a device name, an IP (Internet Protocol) address and so on, as the unique management information. There are virtual LAN information as mentioned later, a password, setting of each interface mounted on the switch blade and so on, as the common management information.
When the change, the extension, or the integration of the server blades is performed in such a blade server, an administrator changes the configuration definition information such as a configuration file included in each switch blade. When the change of the server blade, such as the upgrade of the server blade, is changed, a process to be performed by the administrator is illustrated in FIGS. 2A and 2B. Here, when the extension or the integration of the server blades is performed alternatively, the administrator performs the process illustrated in FIGS. 2A and 2B.
In FIG. 2A, the administrator first performs communication check, i.e., checks whether a server blade to be changed can communicate (step S1). When there is no communication failure of the server blade to be performed, as a result of the communication check, the administrator shuts down the power supply of the server blade to be changed (step S2). The administrator replaces the server blade to be changed with a new server blade (step S3), and changes the configuration definition information in the configuration file or the like including the unique management information and the common management information included in each switch blade (step S4). Then, the administrator turns on the new server blade (step S5), and checks whether the new server blade can communicate (step S6). The present process is completed. Here, in FIG. 2B, a process of step S4 in FIG. 2A is described in detail. First, the administrator checks the configuration definition information in one switch blade (step S11), and backs up the configuration definition information in a memory (step S12). Then, the administrator changes the configuration definition information (especially, setting of the interface including the LAN port) in the one switch blade (step S13). Similarly, the administrator checks the configuration definition information in another switch blade (step S14), and backs up the configuration definition information in a memory (step S15). Then, the administrator changes the configuration definition information (especially, setting of the interface including the LAN port) in the another switch blade (step S16). Thus, when the change, the extension, or the integration of the server blades is performed, the administrator performs the optimization of the network.
Conventionally, there is known a file environment information managing system that prevents the discordance of common information in file environmental information between machines from occurring and freely changes individual information for each machine (see Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 7-36764). There is conventionally known a system that supplies information to all machines in the system by only defining information to a single machine in a distributed machine environment (see Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 6-60001).